


sing me to sleep

by SaraJaye



Category: Little House on the Prairie - Laura Ingalls Wilder
Genre: Bedtime Songs, Family, Gen, Music
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:55:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22201453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: The only thing Laura likes about Sunday is when Pa plays his fiddle.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2
Collections: The 100 Multifandom Challenge





	sing me to sleep

**Author's Note:**

> 21 - fiddle

The only thing Laura liked about Sunday was when it was over. After supper, after another few hours sitting quietly in a chair reading the Bible, she was finally allowed to get up and move her legs. She wasn't to run around, but it felt nice just to be able to walk, even if it was only a few steps to the tub for her bath. Even a bath felt good after sitting still for so long.

But the best part was when Pa brought out his fiddle. Once she and Mary were scrubbed clean, dressed in their nightgowns, and tucked under the quilts, Pa brought his fiddle into the room and he would play them a song. Two if they'd been especially good that day.

Being good was hard for Laura. It came so naturally to Mary that it made her mad and sometimes she wanted to start a fight just so Mary would get in trouble too, but then she'd remember if she was _that_ bad, Pa wouldn't play for them at all.

Today, Laura had worked extra hard to mind her manners, follow the rules, sit quietly no matter how much she ached to run around and play with Jack. Tonight, Pa would play them a second song.

" _Oh! I sigh for Jeannie, with the light brown hair,_ " Pa sang. This one was Mary's favorite, even though Laura liked it well enough. She didn't mind being patient and listening, anyway, because he was almost finished and next he would play _The Yellow Rose of Texas_ just for her. Ma often said the girls were too little to understand such songs, but she never told Pa to stop. If she wasn't too tired after a long day of chores, she would sing with him, and they'd stare at each other with love in their eyes.

Laura didn't understand grown-up love, but she knew her parents cared for each other a lot, and that made her happy.

The fiddle changed tunes. Laura was sleepy, but she would stay awake long enough to hear about a man wanting to go back to the girl he'd left behind long ago.

She wondered if she'd ever get to see this Texas herself someday, but for now, she was cozy and content in the little house, nestled under the covers next to Mary, Pa's deep voice lulling her into a pleasant drowsiness. Tomorrow was washing day, and Ma had promised she could scrub the clothes and the bedding.

Laura liked swishing her hands in a tub of soapy water almost as much as she liked baking, churning, and the sound of the fiddle.


End file.
